


Hermana

by Mary Reed (Mary_Reed)



Category: Sense8 (TV)
Genre: F/F, Mention of trans discrimination, Mention of violence against trans folk, Walk the Moon Mention because they're awesome, Yes the title is an homage to Arrested Development don't judge me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-15
Updated: 2015-08-15
Packaged: 2018-04-14 19:02:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4576164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mary_Reed/pseuds/Mary%20Reed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nita and Nomi are going on their very first date, but Nomi has decided to bring along a friend. Unbeknownst to Nita, the friend is Nomi's sister Caroline, with whom she is very close. Jealousy ensues.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hermana

_Hermana_

A Sense8 One-Shot

 

            “Nita dear you’re going to be late for your date!”

            “I know I know!” came the exasperated response. Purple dreads flipped through the air as Amanita threw yet another outfit on her bed in exasperation. The pile was rapidly reaching the ceiling as her closet became emptier and emptier. She appreciated her mother’s presence and support, but few things could calm her frazzled nerves at this point.

            Nothing about the last two weeks had gone according to plan. That first day Nita had flitted through one gay bar after another, her typical Saturday night ritual, expecting to perhaps pick up some cute little thing with no strings attached for the evening. Instead, she found a shy hacktivist with wavy blonde hair and enough baggage to take down an elephant. Her initial hesitation after realizing that Nomi had not always looked the way she did now faded after the third drink, when Nomi’s inhibitions were lowered enough to allow that twinkle in her eye to shine through and blind Amanita. The wild child of a hippie mother, Nita had never spent more than fifteen minutes at a time on a computer and was wholly uninterested in them. That night she spent an hour and a half listening to Nomi ramble on about recursive algorithms without taking a breath. She wondered idly how much trouble she was in with this one.

            Nomi had stumbled drunkenly to a cab and Nita had scribbled her number on the girl’s arm in sharpie with clumsy hands. Nita went home alone, slept hard in her empty bed feeling happier than she had in a long time.

            Now she and Nomi were meeting up for a date and Nita was running out of time to prepare. Her favorite top was missing, no matter how she stretched them her pants did not seem to fit right, and the eyeliner on her left eye did not match the right even after six separate reapplications.

            In short, Nita was a mess.

            “Nita dear,” came the call again, closer this time. An angry sort of grumble-scream blasted out of the small bedroom, and the mother did her utmost to suppress a sly smile. It had been years since she had seen Nita this nervous for a date. Not since the time she took the most popular girl from her alternative high school to prom had she spent this much time dolling up for another person. Nita did very little for other people unless she felt strongly it would benefit them both, a trait that her mother felt proud of and responsible for. Nita’s father took everything but his daughter’s love on his way out the door after years of sucking his wife dry. She had looked down at her sleeping five year old that night and sworn she would raise her to value herself in a way that she was still learning to do herself.

            “Mom nothing fits and I look HIDEOUS!” shrieked Nita, throwing yet another outfit onto the floor in frustration.

            “Well I think that top is rather nice, and your makeup is wonderful,” she said, a smirk hiding beneath the words. “Also, Nomi called five minutes ago to let me know she’s on her way here to pick you up. She said something about a friend who brought her car.”

            Nita’s breath froze in her chest. If Nomi was bringing someone else, perhaps this was not a date as she had first thought. “Did she mention who?”

            “Unfortunately she did not, but I wouldn’t worry too much. She seemed very into you when I saw her last week,” came the calming reply. The doorbell rang, cutting into the conversation and silencing Nita’s imminent protests. Wild hair flew as Nita threw on the nearest top (a deep purple tank top to match her highlights) and raced for the door. _I raised her well_ , thought her mother.

            “Hey there Nomi,” said Nita, her voice thick with forced nonchalance.

            “Hi Nita,” said Nomi back. Her voice was always quiet, even when there was no need: a product of her rough upbringing that made Nita grimace inwardly every time she noticed. Fuck those bastards. “This is Caroline, she supplied the car.” A blonde girl carrying all of the confidence Nomi lacked waved at Nita with a bright smile. Nita immediately despised her.

            “Let’s head out, I hear this concert is supposed to kick ass,” said Nomi. They were heading to a Walk the Moon concert, a small band with an ever growing following whose 80’s influenced rock never failed to bring a crowd to its feet. Nita had originally believed it to be the perfect venue for a first date; now she was too busy shooting daggers at the back of Caroline’s head to remember why.

            The car ride over was uncomfortably silent. Nomi had learned in the back of classes and locker rooms that being the one to fill empty spaces rarely ended well, and Caroline’s every attempt to ask Nita questions was met with frosty one-word answers.

 

            “So your name’s Nita, right?” asked Caroline.

 

            “Yeah,” came the icy reply.

 

            “How’re you doing?”

 

            “Fine.”

 

            “You listen to Walk the Moon a lot? I’m super excited for this concert.”

 

            “Yep.”

 

            Fifteen minutes passed quietly and uncomfortably.

 

            They pulled up to the amiably dingy bar and parked down the street, a San Francisco town car rumbling past. Excited youth with light blue face paint rushed through the door, and Nita smiled in spite of herself. She remembered being young and exultant. She searched for the same look of nostalgia on Nomi’s face and instead found fear. “Are you okay Nomi?”

            “Yeah, no I’m fine. Just some bad memories. No worries.” Nomi smiled weakly, and Caroline reached over to take her hand. It was a sweet, comforting gesture and Nomi returned it warmly. Nita started glancing around for things she could use as bludgeons.

            They followed the stream of half-baked teenagers into the pub and sat down at some stools in the back, taking advantage of IDs that truthfully put their age over 21 and watching kids full of boundless energy pile into the small area in front of the stage. Nita had been on the other side of the roped off bar many times; she was content to watch from the back this time around if it meant she could be next to Nomi.

            Nita went to sit beside the object of her affections, but Caroline beat her to it, plopping down next to the shy girl and beaming at Nita in a way that made her feel dangerously violent. Nita walked over to the other side of Nomi, opting to lean on the bar rather than sit.

            Walk the Moon came onstage to the cheers of the audience, the lights lowered, and for 45 blissful minutes Nita lost herself in the jubilant music. She raised her arms above her head and felt like she could truly lift a car; this time, when she looked to Nomi for a reflection of her own emotions, she found it. A rather large man had moved in directly in front of them, effectively blocking Nita’s view of Caroline. Her night got even better.

            The final chords of Anna Sun began to fade and the trio of women moved towards the exit. Caroline and Nomi linked arms and Nita fumed.

            Back in the car and heading towards Nita’s apartment, silence weighed down on the sensible sedan’s passengers.

            “Nita, is everything alright with you?” asked Nomi timidly. The tension shattered and Nita’s self-doubt came crashing down on Caroline and Nomi.

            “Of course not! I’m sorry Nomi, but I thought that this was a date, and that maybe there was something here between us but obviously there’s not and I feel like a fucking idiot I’m sorry.”

            “Wha-what are you talking about Nita?” asked Nomi.

            “I’m talking about your girlfriend who you brought with you! I’m super fucking happy for you both but Jesus Nomi you should warn a girl you picked up at a fucking gay bar before you invite her to a concert and bring along the girl you actually want to take home.” The fury on Nita’s face intensified as Caroline and Nomi suddenly burst out laughing. Caroline was shaking so hard she pulled over, tears of laughter streaming down her porcelain face.

            “What the hell is so funny?” asked Nita angrily.

            Nomi forced herself to breathe between fits of laughing. “Nita Nita Nita, Caroline is my sister, not my girlfriend. I wasn’t going to invite anyone else but she had a car and I hate taking the bus so…” Nomi lost control again, doubling over in the front seat as she giggled.

            “So… you two are related and I’m an idiot.”

            “No no no, of course not Nita,” said Caroline. “Honestly I kinda wanted to get an idea of who this girl was that wanted to date my sister. She’s had some bad experiences with some real assholes in the past. But I do approve; more so now that I know how much this means to you.”

            “Well I appreciate the blessing,” said Nita, a smile beginning to overtake the frown on her face. “And I’m sorry for freaking out back there. It’s just, Nomi I really care about you. Like, more than I ever expected to care about someone. If uh, if you’re still interested…”

            “Oh hell yeah I am,” responded Nomi, a coy grin on her face. Nita smiled back. Maybe her life wasn’t such a mess after all.


End file.
